It's great that we are keeping track of each others posts! I see you don't have a good handle on internet sarcasm just yet. Who the hell would go to Millbrook to toprope routes? Anyway, the funny part about this whole runing dialogue is, if we ever met each other on the cliff, I'm sure we'd get along quite nicely. We both have a talent for being douchbags.

Hey guys this has been a remarkably pleasant and controversy-free thread for a long time. Why don't you both take it elsewhere. Better yet, hook up at the Gunks and do some climbing together. I know Jake to be very good company at the crag and from Rob's posts it seems he would be too. I think you guys just might get along pretty well.

I just got to go out climbing the last three days. That is, Novembe 25, 26, and 27. In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Generally, it is freezing or below by this time of year, usually wet, often with snow on the ground. To get three days in a row of local climb is unheard of.

And, yeah, it was just some local cragging -- but that's a glorious thing at this time of year around here.

Oh yeah, also took a visiting Brit on his longest outdoor climb ever, his first ever multi-pitch climb, his first ever trad follow, then his first ever trad lead. He was very happy.

I'm not surprised you're still climbing in the Gunks... you're a fair bit south of here. And 45 is fine -- that's what it was here last weekend. It's down to freezing this weekend, which is about normal for this time of year.

Well, I had initially submitted this to Climbing.com, but the girl who is in charge of the reader blogs doesn't seem to be responding these days, so I posted it on my own blog instead: A Hodgepodge of Climbers in Southeastern Brasil is a summary of the three places I've hit thus far as well as a complicated trajectory of how I've met my climbing partners.

Next week I should be climbing near or on the beach in a town called Florianopolis. Look it up on google images, it's worth it.

In short, it's getting hot here, damn hot, but I may be finally finding a stable, dedicated partner after building a loose coalition of newbies and flaky experienced climbers. It hasn't been easy (language is key at times), but I've managed. Still no certainty that I've found a good partner, but fingers are crossed that I have.

This latest post doesn't reflect my difficulties in finding good partners that much. Instead it focuses more on how I've had to patch together a decent group just to get out. Brasil is a complicated place. Enjoy.

Yeah, finding a stable partner, or fairly tight group of possible partners can be difficult -- and in a new country, with language barriers, and (quite possibly) less of a climbing culture, I can understand how difficult that would be. Hope it works out!

Yeah, finding a stable partner, or fairly tight group of possible partners can be difficult -- and in a new country, with language barriers, and (quite possibly) less of a climbing culture, I can understand how difficult that would be. Hope it works out!

Ohhh i forgot to post up about my mid-week weekend at the gunks last week.

I met Valpine tuesday morning and got moving to find sunny routes. It was in the teens over night but produced a great sunrise.

Tuesday we did Easy O to Baby. I had forgotten how much fun the roof was on Baby P2, i think i'll be doing this combo for a warm up more often. Even more so if i bring a tag line or 70m to do P2 Son of EO after coming back down to the ledge. Then we moved on to Something Interesting. I had followed it this summer but had forgotten about the 2nd crux beta but i sorted it out and enjoyed the jugs to the top. Val wanted to lead something onsight so she got on Squiggles and finished our short day with that.

Day 2 we wanted to get on Bonnies while it was warm so we headed straight down then did In the Groove to warm up. Bit interesting with the bottom soaked and half of the In the Silly alternate start wet. Luckily I do enough wet routes at Rumney to be ok working around wet holds. eventually weaved through the water through the roofs to the top. Bonnies Roof is my favorite pitch at the gunks. P1 was in prime conditions. dry, crisp and sticky. Val pumped out at the roof and had to do some prussik action to get back on but did and finished it up no problem. Had her take some photos of me on P2 so I could have the classic shot.

running out of light we went and did Bunny to the Retribution anchors. Val followed and gave the bottom of Retribution a solid go but the roof was too much. I got on, got crossed up at the roof and had to hang a sec then pulled it and finished the rest. I thought it would be a good route to lead next year because i cruised it a few years ago on TR.. i am having second thoughts :P

ah well.. not a bad few days.. short days and chilly temps didn't get us that many pitches but it was gunks mid december so what do you want. back to plastic tonight.. must get stronger.

yea.. was mid 40s maybe low 50 on the wall.. you would not have been too happy. I had long sleeve polypro and a fleece vest on and was fine with my helmet on.

teens at night might have froze you solid hehe

Actually, I could have handled the night. I'm OK with cold temps, just not when I have to use my fingers, so sleeping would have been fine.

I remember once in mid-to-late Nov I was climbing with a friend on YYYY. I did the first three pitches in the sun no problem. The last pitch was in the shade. I got into the traverse and damn near almost told my partner I couldn't get the #3 out (or maybe it was a #2, either way, it was an easy-to-remove large cam). My fingers couldn't pull the trigger. I got it out, but it was PAINFUL!

At the gunks now...could have climbed a couple of days this week. It's cold, but not horrible. Couldnt' find a willing partner so I have been hiking and going to yoga. I am hoping to climb sometime over the next few days.

At the gunks now...could have climbed a couple of days this week. It's cold, but not horrible. COuldnt' find a willing partner so I have been hking and going to yoga. I am hoping to climb sometime over the next few days.

We climbed at the gunks on 12/31 and then again today. The weather was unseasonably warm and it felt great to get out on the rock. Believe it or not, the Trapps lot was full when I walked out today. Almost every climb in the Uberfall was occupied.

While we are about to be hit by a "polar express", it may be warm enought to climb by the weekend. The only problem is our short days. You have to wait until about noon to go out (so that it's warm enough) and then you only have a few hours to climb. Once the sun goes behind the cliff the temp drops and it gets pretty cold pretty quickly.

We have no ice or snow, so it's rock climbing, hiking, and yoga for me.

Phoenix was @ 79 and sunny! We climbed at Isolation Canyon in T shirts and sunscreen. Ouch, it was chilly walking out there, we had to surmount an ice coated slab (north facing of course) then the sunny rock just wore my tips to nubbins.

Okay since Gail and Manny posted up I guess I will as well. It was a beautiful day Sunday at Crow Hill. Brilliant sunshine, no wind and temps in the upper 40's, a very balmy Massachusetts January day Manny! Pretty low-key day. The rack stayed in the pack. We did some bouldering and then did some TR laps on CroMag. Or, more correctly, Coldweather Kevin did some laps on it as well as some attempts on CroMaiden. On my several "laps" I didn't get much further than the bouldery start. The combination of the bouldering session, several weeks of inactivity and messing up the sequence a couple of times on the start led to an inability to hang in until I could get to the jams. CroMag starts beneath a hang. You step up and make a couple of moves up and left to a break, swing a leg up to catch a knee bar and use a good horizontal to pull upright. Now it is dead vertical to slightly overhanging and unfortunately you have about 10 more feet on slopers and one very marginal ringlock before you can sink a solid jam to get a rest. Time to get back to the workout routine!

Beers and a bit of Scotch in the parking lot finished off the somewhat traditional Crow Hill January 1st outing. BTW Doug, if you are lurking, we toasted you and past "opening" days! BTW Manny did you and Doug ever connect? Best wishes to all for a great New Year!